2G: Key Witness A.K. Srivastava to Depose on July 30

The special CBI court holding the day-to-day trial in the 2G case involving former Telecom Minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi besides others would start examining tomorrow a crucial prosecution witness and DoT's senior official A K Srivastava

Special CBI Judge O P Saini would start the recording of statement of Srivastava, a former Deputy Director General (Access Services) of Department of Telecommunication.

Srivastava's testimony assumes significance as he, in his statement to the CBI during the probe in the case, had said that Raja had noted in a DoT file that the cut-off date for receiving applications for grant of the 2G spectrum licenses would be October 1, 2007.

Raja, however, in pursuance of a conspiracy to favour some telecom companies, decided to accept the applications filed with DoT till September 25 only, the CBI had alleged in its charge sheet.

The CBI had also alleged that Raja wanted to favour firms, Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Ltd and Swan Telecom and to extend the favour, he unilaterally advanced the cut-off date for accepting the applications.

Raja ignored various authorities including the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Law Ministry and the Prime Minister's office (PMO) in the process, it said.

Srivastava, whose testimony is crucial for the CBI, had further told the investigators that Raja's erstwhile Private Secretary R K Chandolia, a co-accused, had on September 24, 2007 enquired from him about the number of applications received so far.

On being told that the applications of Unitech group firms have already been received on September 24, 2007, Chandolia then directed Srivastava not to entertain further applications for the grant of Unified Access Services Licences (UASL) from the next day that is September 25, 2007, the witness had alleged.